Here's a photo of the booth after it was completed but before visitors began to arrive.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
IFMR booth at House of Friendship readied for visitors
On Friday and Saturday, before the start of the Rotary International convention, Raymond Plue, Ken and Jean Brandt, and Bob Shriner set up the IFMR booth in the House of Friendship to welcome visitors to the convention. The booth's displays includes a top-of-the-line Honda Gold Wing provided by Hamel Honda, the dealership that also is providing rental motorcycles for the IFMR "Atlantic Canada" tour after the convention.
Here's a photo of the booth after it was completed but before visitors began to arrive.
Here's a photo of the booth after it was completed but before visitors began to arrive.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Visit the IFMR booth #2227 in the House of Friendship during the Montreal convention
IFMR will be well-represented at the RI convention in Montreal . The IFMR booth will be located in the House of Friendship at booth #2227. Plan to stop by and visit. If you'd like to purchase additional IFMR patches, pins, or reflective decals, they will be available. There will also be a few IFMR Montreal 2010 souvenir polo shirts available, but supplies are limited.
*** IFMR 8" Embroidered Patches - C$8
*** IFMR Enameled Pins - C$5
*** IFMR Reflective decals - C$2
*** IFMR Membership (includes patch, pin, and decal) - C$15
*** IFMR Montreal 2010 Souvenir Polo Shirt - C$40
If you would like to help man the IFMR booth on Sunday or Monday, we could use your help both days. Your help in setting up the booth on Friday afternoon (June 18) and dismantling it at the end of the convention on Wednesday afternoon (June 23) would also be welcome.
*** IFMR 8" Embroidered Patches - C$8
*** IFMR Enameled Pins - C$5
*** IFMR Reflective decals - C$2
*** IFMR Membership (includes patch, pin, and decal) - C$15
*** IFMR Montreal 2010 Souvenir Polo Shirt - C$40
If you would like to help man the IFMR booth on Sunday or Monday, we could use your help both days. Your help in setting up the booth on Friday afternoon (June 18) and dismantling it at the end of the convention on Wednesday afternoon (June 23) would also be welcome.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Important Additional Information for IFMR Tour Riders
Greetings/Bonjour IFMR Tour Riders --
We are now only a week away from the start of the trip to Montreal and less that two weeks from the start of our IFMR "Atlantic Canada" tour. All but a couple of minor details have been finalized and I'm ready to leave for Montreal this coming Thursday. I've just finished updating the Itinerary Summary and the Key Contacts List, which I am sending you in an email. Please print copies of both documents and this message and bring them with you, so that I won't have to carry copies with me on the motorcycle trip to Montreal..
There are a number of other things I want to tell you about now; and I'll be reminding you of them again during the tour.
We want to start every morning on time in order to complete the day's journey -- and especially lunch stops -- close to the scheduled times. Please be fueled and ready to depart at the time indicated. If your motorcycle needs to be refueled every 150-180 miles (245-290 km), plan to refuel at every lunch time.
Most Canadian highways have 100 km/hr speed limits, though major highways often have higher speed limits. Police are generally tolerant of 5-10 km/hr above the posted limit, except in towns and school zones. While on the highways the tour group will generally travel at about the same speed as other traffic. Riders who wish to travel faster or slower than the tour group, or want to make their own side-trip, are welcome to separate from the group, but they must tell the tour leader before doing so and they must plan to arrive at that evening's motel not more than 30 minutes after the group's scheduled arrival time.
In Quebec and some other parts of Canada, groups of motorcycles traveling together are required to ride in a 'staggered' (alternating left-right-left) pattern for safety and maintain a safe distance between motorcycles. However, when the group is riding in towns with traffic signals, members of the group should try to stay closely together to avoid getting separated by traffic signal changes and other vehicles.
Riders should remain alert to the location of the riders behind them, especially when the group turns at an intersection. Make sure the rider behind you sees you making the turn before you proceed. If necessary, wait until the rider behind you reaches the intersection and starts the turn. Otherwise, that rider and the riders behind may become lost.
WATCH OUT FOR WILDLIFE ON OR NEAR THE HIGHWAY. Canada has lots of large animals -- especially deer and moose -- that may suddenly cross the road and can cause very bad accidents. Even smaller animals can be dangerous to motorcyclists. BE ALERT! Especially in wooded or mountainous areas.
Due to recent financial restrictions, Quebec Tourism recently stopped providing road maps free to tour groups. However, visitors centers will provide road maps free to individual visitors. Bill Smith advises that there is a Quebec Tourism visitors center near the Hotel Imperia, where tour members should be able to obtain road maps for their personal use during the tour. Arrangements have been made for road maps of the other provinces along the tour route to be provided to group members when the tour arrives there.
The Itinerary Summary and Contact List I've sent you provide useful information about each day's travel, lunch, dinner, and lodging; but circumstances may change and adjustments may be required as the tour proceeds; and there are many details not included in these summary documents. To make sure all riders have a clear picture of any changes and of other interesting details for the next day, the tour leader will have a short meeting of all riders every evening before dinner to review and discuss the next day's activities. Be sure to attend these meetings.
We have two major ferry rides -- the first crosses the St. Lawrence River on Day 3 and the second crosses the Bay of Fundy on Day 11. It is necessary to arrive at the ferry terminal an hour before departure to provide time for check-in and boarding of all vehicles and passengers. DO NOT BE LATE ARRIVING AT THE FERRY OR YOU WILL BE LEFT. Advance reservations for each rider and motorcycle have been made for our group; and credit cards can be used to pay for the ferry fare during check-in.
There is also one long toll bridge, nearly 10 miles long, between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (PEI). No toll is collected when crossing to PEI; but a 'combined toll' for both trips is collected before vehicles are allowed to cross the bridge back to New Brunswick. Credit cards can be used to pay for the bridge toll at the toll booth.
If for any reason you decide to leave the tour at a different time or place than originally planned, be sure to notify the tour leader (and Vince Byrne) so that existing reservations can be cancelled. Otherwise, you will be billed by the hotel as a "No Show"; and some hotels require at least 48 hours advance notice to cancel without fee.
At various points during the tour we expect to be joined by local Rotarian motorcyclists who will ride with our group for a few hours or a few days. We welcome these Rotary fellowship opportunities, as well as the opportunities for our tour group to participate in several local Rotary fellowship events along the way. Please make our temporary tour members feel welcome.
I think this is going to be a Wonderful IFMR tour, and we all want to make it a SAFE one. Don't hesitate to ask me questions at any time. I look forward to seeing all of you VERY SOON.
:-) Bob Shriner
IFMR Tour Leader
Thursday, April 8, 2010
IFMR "Atlantic Canada" Tour Update
IMPORTANT ADDED INFORMATION FOR TOUR RIDERS
It's only a few short weeks until we start the IFMR "Atlantic Canada" tour in Montreal on June 24. The tour is fully booked, except for any IFMR members and other Rotary riders and friends who may join us for short periods along the tour route.
We also have important information about tour details to pass along to you, so please read and save this entire post and let us know if you have any questions.
RIDERS COMING FROM THE U.S. MUST HAVE A CANADIAN NON-RESIDENT VEHICLE INSURANCE CARD FROM THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY. Under rules recently implemented for border security, you may be asked to show this non-resident vehicle insurance card when you enter Canada and you may be denied entry if you do not have it. Check with your insurance agent before you leave home and make sure that your existing vehicle insurance policy will provide liability coverage in Canada and obtain the necessary Canadian non-resident vehicle insurance card from your agent. This can often been done immediately or within a few days. But if you fail to do it and do not have the card when you get to the border checkpoint, you could be turned away and denied entry. THAT WOULD BE BAD!
RENTAL BIKES CAN NOT BE RIDDEN ACROSS THE BORDER Due to insurance restrictions and border security rules now in force, it is no longer possible to rent a motorcycle in Canada and then ride it into the US, or rent a motorcycle in the US and ride it into Canada. Several IFMR riders discovered this unexpectedly in the 2008 IFMR "Great Lakes-Great Times" Tour, which was originally planned to cross back and forth over the US-Canada border several times, which was easily done in the past. However, the tour route had to be changed at the last minute to limit travel to the US side of the border.
FERRY CROSSINGS REQUIRE INDIVIDUAL ADVANCE BOOKING SEVERAL WEEKS IN ADVANCE WITH INDIVIDUAL CREDIT CARDS. We will make two major ferry transits during the tour -- one across the St Lawrence River in Quebec and the second across the Bay of Fundy from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick. The ferry companies have indicated that they do not accept 'group' reservations and that separate reservations must be made in advance for each vehicle and its passengers, requiring passenger names, credit card information, and vehicle type and license tag number. Credit cards will be billed at the time the reservation is made; but reservations can be cancelled prior to departure and a refund will be issued without charge. "No shows" will be charged C$25. We have all the information needed in order to make the reservations for group members, except for the license tag numbers of riders on their own motorcycles, which we will need you to send Vince Byrne (vbyrne@ns.sympatico.ca) as soon as possible so we can make ferry reservations.
IFMR-MONTREAL TOUR POLO SHIRTS WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOU IN MONTREAL (OR WHEN YOU JOIN THE GROUP AFTER MONTREAL) AND MUST BE PAID FOR IN CASH (C$40 or US$36). I regret this minor inconvenience for collecting payment for the polo shirts you have ordered; but IFMR-NA does not currently have a way to collect this via credit card billing.
CHARGES (ABOUT C$25) FOR EVENING TRAVEL BY BUS TO/FROM THE "LOBSTER SUPPER" ON PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND WILL BE PAID BY THE QUALITY INN AND INCLUDED ON YOUR ROOM CHARGES WHEN YOU CHECK OUT. Individual charges for the "Lobster Supper" itself will be paid at the Lobster Supper site, either by cash or credit card.
BEGINNING THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TOUR DEPARTS FROM MONTREAL THERE WILL BE A BRIEF RIDERS' MEETING TO DISCUSS THE PLANS FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY'S ROUTE AND ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR THE SAFETY AND COMMON GOOD OF THE GROUP. All tour riders are expected to attend every Riders Meeting, whose location and time will be announced by the tour leader. If you have questions at any time, don't hesitate to ask tour guides Bob Shriner, Vince Byrne, or Bill Smith, now via email or in person during the tour. We want this to be a safe, enjoyable, and EXTRA-ORDINARY trip for the entire group.
BILL SMITH WILL LEAD A DAY-RIDE TO THE FAMOUS MONT TREMBLATT SCENIC AREA NORTHWEST OF MONTREAL ON MONDAY, JUNE 21. Riders wishing to make that ride should be at the Imperia Hotel parking lot, gassed up and ready to go at 9 AM. The ride should be back to the Hotel Imperia by late afternoon.
THERE WILL BE A GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND FELLOWSHIP DINNER IN THE IMPERIA HOTEL ON SUNDAY, JUNE 20, AT 6 PM. The meeting/dinner, which will follow the opening ceremony of the RI Convention, will be held in a reserved section of the Imperia Hotel Bistro and will also include the inauguration of the next president of IFMR-NA. Individual dinner orders will be selected from the menu and individually billed. All IFMR members and guests are invited to attend.
The remaining time between now and Montreal will fly by quickly. We are in the final stages of making reservations and planning stops along the route. Everyone I've talked with or exchanged emails with is as excited about the tour as Bill, Vince, and Bob are. And we looking forward to seeing all of you in Montreal, or when you join the group after we leave Montreal. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact tour guides Bob Shriner, Vince Byrne, or Bill Smith.
It's only a few short weeks until we start the IFMR "Atlantic Canada" tour in Montreal on June 24. The tour is fully booked, except for any IFMR members and other Rotary riders and friends who may join us for short periods along the tour route.
We also have important information about tour details to pass along to you, so please read and save this entire post and let us know if you have any questions.
RIDERS COMING FROM THE U.S. MUST HAVE A CANADIAN NON-RESIDENT VEHICLE INSURANCE CARD FROM THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY. Under rules recently implemented for border security, you may be asked to show this non-resident vehicle insurance card when you enter Canada and you may be denied entry if you do not have it. Check with your insurance agent before you leave home and make sure that your existing vehicle insurance policy will provide liability coverage in Canada and obtain the necessary Canadian non-resident vehicle insurance card from your agent. This can often been done immediately or within a few days. But if you fail to do it and do not have the card when you get to the border checkpoint, you could be turned away and denied entry. THAT WOULD BE BAD!
RENTAL BIKES CAN NOT BE RIDDEN ACROSS THE BORDER Due to insurance restrictions and border security rules now in force, it is no longer possible to rent a motorcycle in Canada and then ride it into the US, or rent a motorcycle in the US and ride it into Canada. Several IFMR riders discovered this unexpectedly in the 2008 IFMR "Great Lakes-Great Times" Tour, which was originally planned to cross back and forth over the US-Canada border several times, which was easily done in the past. However, the tour route had to be changed at the last minute to limit travel to the US side of the border.
FERRY CROSSINGS REQUIRE INDIVIDUAL ADVANCE BOOKING SEVERAL WEEKS IN ADVANCE WITH INDIVIDUAL CREDIT CARDS. We will make two major ferry transits during the tour -- one across the St Lawrence River in Quebec and the second across the Bay of Fundy from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick. The ferry companies have indicated that they do not accept 'group' reservations and that separate reservations must be made in advance for each vehicle and its passengers, requiring passenger names, credit card information, and vehicle type and license tag number. Credit cards will be billed at the time the reservation is made; but reservations can be cancelled prior to departure and a refund will be issued without charge. "No shows" will be charged C$25. We have all the information needed in order to make the reservations for group members, except for the license tag numbers of riders on their own motorcycles, which we will need you to send Vince Byrne (vbyrne@ns.sympatico.ca) as soon as possible so we can make ferry reservations.
IFMR-MONTREAL TOUR POLO SHIRTS WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOU IN MONTREAL (OR WHEN YOU JOIN THE GROUP AFTER MONTREAL) AND MUST BE PAID FOR IN CASH (C$40 or US$36). I regret this minor inconvenience for collecting payment for the polo shirts you have ordered; but IFMR-NA does not currently have a way to collect this via credit card billing.
CHARGES (ABOUT C$25) FOR EVENING TRAVEL BY BUS TO/FROM THE "LOBSTER SUPPER" ON PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND WILL BE PAID BY THE QUALITY INN AND INCLUDED ON YOUR ROOM CHARGES WHEN YOU CHECK OUT. Individual charges for the "Lobster Supper" itself will be paid at the Lobster Supper site, either by cash or credit card.
BEGINNING THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TOUR DEPARTS FROM MONTREAL THERE WILL BE A BRIEF RIDERS' MEETING TO DISCUSS THE PLANS FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY'S ROUTE AND ANY OTHER ITEMS FOR THE SAFETY AND COMMON GOOD OF THE GROUP. All tour riders are expected to attend every Riders Meeting, whose location and time will be announced by the tour leader. If you have questions at any time, don't hesitate to ask tour guides Bob Shriner, Vince Byrne, or Bill Smith, now via email or in person during the tour. We want this to be a safe, enjoyable, and EXTRA-ORDINARY trip for the entire group.
BILL SMITH WILL LEAD A DAY-RIDE TO THE FAMOUS MONT TREMBLATT SCENIC AREA NORTHWEST OF MONTREAL ON MONDAY, JUNE 21. Riders wishing to make that ride should be at the Imperia Hotel parking lot, gassed up and ready to go at 9 AM. The ride should be back to the Hotel Imperia by late afternoon.
THERE WILL BE A GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND FELLOWSHIP DINNER IN THE IMPERIA HOTEL ON SUNDAY, JUNE 20, AT 6 PM. The meeting/dinner, which will follow the opening ceremony of the RI Convention, will be held in a reserved section of the Imperia Hotel Bistro and will also include the inauguration of the next president of IFMR-NA. Individual dinner orders will be selected from the menu and individually billed. All IFMR members and guests are invited to attend.
The remaining time between now and Montreal will fly by quickly. We are in the final stages of making reservations and planning stops along the route. Everyone I've talked with or exchanged emails with is as excited about the tour as Bill, Vince, and Bob are. And we looking forward to seeing all of you in Montreal, or when you join the group after we leave Montreal. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact tour guides Bob Shriner, Vince Byrne, or Bill Smith.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Don't Head for Montreal Without Advance Room Reservations
Montreal Tourism Center Reports Most Area Hotels Are Already Full for RI Convention
Make sure you have room reservations before heading to Montreal for the RI Convention. A couple of rooms are still available for IFMR members at the Imperia Hotel, our convention headquarters in suburban Ste-Eustache; but almost everything else in the Montreal area is already filled up. See the side-bar at right for contact information for the Imperia Hotel.
Make sure you have room reservations before heading to Montreal for the RI Convention. A couple of rooms are still available for IFMR members at the Imperia Hotel, our convention headquarters in suburban Ste-Eustache; but almost everything else in the Montreal area is already filled up. See the side-bar at right for contact information for the Imperia Hotel.
Canadian Motor Vehicle Insurance Required for Entry
ATTENTION U.S. IFMR RIDERS -- YOU'LL NEED A CANADIAN VEHICLE INSURANCE CARD TO ENTER THE COUNTRY
With various recent changes in border security, Canadian border security agents may ask you to show that you have a Canadian NON-RESIDENT inter-province motor vehicle liability insurance card. If you do not have this card, border security may refuse you entry to Canada no matter what U.S. insurance you have. This applies to both cars and motorcycles.
Most U.S. insurance companies will provide a card indicating Canadian coverage upon request at no cost for the days you are in Canada. It usually takes a few weeks to get the card, but sometimes it can be obtained more quickly. Talk to your agent. S/he may be able to issue a card on the spot.
Also confirm that your U.S. insurance will actually cover you in Canada. Not all do. If yours does not, you can Google several web sites that allow you to purchase coverage just for the days you are in the country.
What about rented vehicles?
If you're flying to Montreal and renting a vehicle (car or motorcycle) in Canada, the rental agreement will generally include Canadian vehicle insurance. However, be aware that it is not possible to cross the U.S.-Canada border in either direction with a rental bike -- a restriction that some IFMR riders have sadly discovered by experience.
With various recent changes in border security, Canadian border security agents may ask you to show that you have a Canadian NON-RESIDENT inter-province motor vehicle liability insurance card. If you do not have this card, border security may refuse you entry to Canada no matter what U.S. insurance you have. This applies to both cars and motorcycles.
Most U.S. insurance companies will provide a card indicating Canadian coverage upon request at no cost for the days you are in Canada. It usually takes a few weeks to get the card, but sometimes it can be obtained more quickly. Talk to your agent. S/he may be able to issue a card on the spot.
Also confirm that your U.S. insurance will actually cover you in Canada. Not all do. If yours does not, you can Google several web sites that allow you to purchase coverage just for the days you are in the country.
What about rented vehicles?
If you're flying to Montreal and renting a vehicle (car or motorcycle) in Canada, the rental agreement will generally include Canadian vehicle insurance. However, be aware that it is not possible to cross the U.S.-Canada border in either direction with a rental bike -- a restriction that some IFMR riders have sadly discovered by experience.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Motorcycle Rental in Canada
MOTORCYCLE RENTALS FOR IFMR MEMBERS IN MONTREAL
Canadian IFMR Ride Guide Bill Smith has arranged for discount motorcycle rentals with Hamel Honda Centre, located near IFMR convention headquarters, the Imperia Hotel. IFMR members will receive a 15 percent discount from the dealerships published price, and includes saddle bags, helmet, insurance, and 500 km (~ 310 miles) per day, more than enough for the IFMR "Atlantic Canada" tour. Click here to see the dealership's listing of motorcycles available for rental and their published prices. Additional Honda models may also be available by special request.
Riders participating in the "Atlantic Canada" tour should make their reservation for two weeks of rental. Bikes should be picked up on the afternoon of June 23 in order to be ready for tour departure from the Imperia Hotel at 9 AM on June 24.
Riders wishing to participate in the scenic day-ride on Monday, June 21, need to make a separate one-day contract for that.
To reserve your rental motorcycle for the tour and/or the Monday day-ride, contact Hamel Honda's motorcycle rental manager Jean-Francois Jacob at 1-450-491-0440, ext. 7501 or jjacob@hamelhonda.com. Jean-Francois is fluent in both French and English, so feel free to contact him in French or English.
Riders wishing to participate in the scenic day-ride on Monday, June 21, need to make a separate one-day contract for that.
To reserve your rental motorcycle for the tour and/or the Monday day-ride, contact Hamel Honda's motorcycle rental manager Jean-Francois Jacob at 1-450-491-0440, ext. 7501 or jjacob@hamelhonda.com. Jean-Francois is fluent in both French and English, so feel free to contact him in French or English.
An international drivers license is not required for brief visits in Canada such as this tour; but it may be useful for identification if you have one, especially if your country's drivers license is not in English or French.
If you have additional questions regarding bike rental or Canadian motorcycling rules, contact Bill Smith at 1-518-744-5304 or SmithatLG@AOL.com.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Photos from the September 2009 Pre-Run
of the IFMR "Atlantic Canada" Tour
of the IFMR "Atlantic Canada" Tour
In mid-September I spent two weeks reconnoitering the route for the IFMR "Atlantic Canada" tour of Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. Here's a sampling of sights along the tour route. ENJOY!!! And come join us next June for the tour.
-- Bob Shriner
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